Buccos Cove

As we prepare for tomorrow's day one of the 2021 MLB Draft, we take a look back at last year's picks to see how they are progressing in the Minor Leagues. Cherington's first picks didn't get the start they wanted but are progressing towards the Big Leagues in 2021. The 2021 MLB Draft is upon us as we get ready to meet the next generation of Pittsburgh Pirates players. It will be an exciting couple of days for athletes across the country as they are hoping their dreams to become professional baseball players are realized. For General Manager Ben Cherington and his team, it is their second draft as members of the Pirates front office, and they are looking to continue to add talent to this organization during their rebuild. 2020 was a difficult year to draft talent with COVID running rampant across the country, but they were able to bring in six talented players to the organization. Those six may not have exactly gotten the start they wanted to their pro career...

With the Pittsburgh Pirates in rebuild mode, the future of this organization still resides in the Minor Leagues with many players in Low-A and High-A Ball. However, the future is starting out bright for these players who look to become future faces of the franchise. The Pittsburgh Pirates are at a rebuilding phase in their organization's history. After the mistakes of the previous regime, the Pirates are now set on acquiring new talent and bringing them up through their Minor League system. Because of this, there are tough moves that the team is going to have to make this season and probably next season as well. Guys like Tyler Anderson, Adam Frazier, and Richard Rodriguez will be flipped at the trade deadline for prospects who will help rebuild the pipeline and set the Pirates up for future success. Because of this, many of these prospects are still in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, playing for High-A Greensboro and Low-A Bradenton. While these players are stil...

The 2020 draft was Ben Cherington's first as the General Manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates and he picked infielder Nick Gonzales. As Gonzales enters his first season of pro ball, we look at what to expect from the New Mexico State alumnus. The 2020 MLB Draft was not Ben Cherington's first go around, but it was his first chance to make a good impression with Pittsburgh Pirates fans. With the season being delayed, there was no way to judge his team's on-field performance so this was their first chance to evaluate his eye for talent. While many thought he would go with a pitcher or a catcher, Cherington had his eye on the best talent available. That is why he picked infielder Nick Gonzales at #7 overall out of New Mexico State. During the shortened season, Gonzales led the nation in all three major offensive categories in 2020 hitting .448 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI in 16 games played. Even though he hasn't gotten a chance to play in a live game yet in pro ba...

Last year, Manager Derek Shelton entered Spring Training as a first-time MLB manager and tried to keep things loose and fun. With so many young prospects in this year's camp, the focus should be around developing these guys for the Major Leagues. After managing in a year where everything was constantly changing, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton received his welcome to the Big Leagues. It was an experimental year for the Pirates, as they were trying to see where they were and what type of talent they had, and as a result, they finished a Major League worst 19-41. However, Shelton was still trying to build relationships with his players and coaching staff and tried to keep things light and fun around the clubhouse. Now, that he had a feel of who he is working with, it is time for a culture change as the team starts their rebuild. With so many of the team's top prospects in camp, the team's focus should shift from having fun to developing their players into...

Over the off-season, Minor League Baseball underwent some big changes with teams being cut, and others jumping classifications. This leaves the Pirates asking where some of their top prospects will start for the 2021 season. The progression of a Minor League prospect through the system is usually a straight forward process. If you are a college prospect you will start in either Short Season or Low-A Ball and if you are a high schooler you are more than likely headed to Rookie Ball. However, that whole process could be in jeopardy after the Minor League shut down last season. Players were forced into the major Leagues before their time, and some of those draft picks ended up at Altoona's Alternate Training site. Add in the fact that the Pirates Minor League system moves from eight teams to just six teams, and that forces the Pirates to spread their talent around more. So, where will we see some of the Pirate's top prospects start the year in 2021? This is one of the ...

2020 has been a weird year for everyone in professional sports, but it has been that much weirder for the 2020 class of MLB Draft picks. Today, we project where Pittsburgh Pirates' first round picks Nick Gonzales and Carmen Mlodzinski will start their professional careers. The 2020 season had its fair share of ups and downs and surprises for all 30 Major League Baseball teams. From COVID-19 outbreaks on two teams to playing in a bubble, things were different as all 30 teams tried to navigate a regular and post-season all during a pandemic. However, the harder transition came for the draft class of 2020. They didn't get the opportunity to start right in with their organization but instead had to either work at the team's satellite camp or begin their professional training in their own backyards. The Pittsburgh Pirates' two first round draft picks had very different introductions to their organization. While seventh overall pick Nick Gonzales got to work out a...